US pledges $26.5M to PHL for counterterrorism

The United States will contribute $26.5 million over the next two years to help Philippine law enforcement agencies in their counterterrorism efforts, the embassy said in a statement Thursday.

The embassy said the US will provide equipment, training, and other support to help local law enforcement agencies to build their capacity "within a rule of law framework to deny terrorist operations, funding, and movement."

The boost will also serve to strengthen the power of agencies to investigate and prosecute terrorists and counter radicalization to violence and violent extremism.

"This support for non-military rule-of-law approaches to addressing terrorist threats will complement our sustained commitment to building the counterterrorism capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines," the embassy said.

As a treaty ally of the US, the Philippines' military has had deep ties with its American counterparts and received defense equipment, weapons and training from US forces for decades.

Under the Trump administration, the US government provided at least P730 million in aid to the Philippines to support its rehabilitation efforts for Marawi City, which was attacked and occupied by the pro-ISIS Maute group for several months last year.—Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News